TN Govt Clarifies Stance on Mekedatu Dam, Vows to Protect Farmers' Interests

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Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister, Duraimurugan, clarified the state government's stance on the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the Mekedatu reservoir project in Karnataka. The minister emphasized that the court's decision did not give approval for the project, but rather allowed the state to express its objections to the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Water and Maritime Authority (CWMA). Duraimurugan stated that the DMK government will not compromise on the interests of farmers and will not allow the construction of the dam, which he claimed would violate the Supreme Court's verdict and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's award. The minister revealed that the state government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2020 to halt Karnataka's move to obtain approval for the project's environmental impact assessment. Despite Karnataka's allocation of a budget for the project, the Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed it. Duraimurugan pledged that the state government will present strong arguments before the CWMA and the CWC, contradicting reports that the Supreme Court had approved the construction of the reservoir project.